Catch My Raindrops
by MerbMaid
Summary: Stork has a midnight break down and ends up in the hospital. During his stay he meets some unlikley friends who come together and help him heal.
1. Prolouge: Midnight

The nightmares started with darkness. And eyes, always with the red eyes. I'm running, fast, but not fast enough. There coming. She calls to me.  
But I know the truth, shes dead. There all dead. My family,gone. The tears start, they wont stop. Can't someone make them stop? 

He bolted up from the thin, ship deck bed, Covered in a cold sweat. There was a frantic knocking. "Stork?" It was Aerrow. "Stork are you ok? I could hear you screaming."  
Stork sighed and then shivered. "Leave me alone, Aerrow, I'm fine." he said. Aerrow stood without speaking, staring at the steel barred door. "Okay Stork, make sure you get some sleep, we can't have you falling asleep at the wheel." Aerrow said as he ventured back down the Condor's hallway. Stork snorted, annoyed. "Easy for you to say, you fit in so well here..but I"  
He shook his head. "You have friends, Aerrow..I have nightmares." he whispered. Stork stood up and tossed his blankets back over the board thin bed. He sat down at his dresser, staring vaugely at the cracked mirror. A disgruntled, half asleep merb stared angrily back. "God, I look more...crazy." he said.The mirror image smiled. "You are crazy, boi." it hissed. Stork jumped backwards. "What did you say?" he said, his left eye twitching along with his deep, ragged breaths. Mirror Stork leaned forward and grinned wickedly. "A merb among the humans. An outcast among the perfect." he said.  
"Shut Up!" Stork screamed, punching the mirror as hard as he could. The leering mirage shattered, glass raining down on the desk and floor like a million crystal tear drops. "Tear drops." Stork whispered.  
He groaned and leaned his head against the splintered wood. He sat that way, motionless, for what seemed like eons, before he lept backwards. He stood swaying in the middle of his own dinky room, more like a broom closet. "No" he said. Collapsing to his knees, head in his hands, he yelled a secret cry locked in his heart for nearly ten years. "MOTHER!" he screamed to the sky before passing out on the cold, metal floor.


	2. News

Stork winced as the doctor stuck another needle into his arm. "It really wasn't a good idea to punch glass, you're lucky that you didn't get any embedded." he told Stork.

"So, does that mean I can go home?" Stork asked.

The doctor shook his head. "I want you to stay here until the swelling goes down, we really don't want it to get infected." he said.

Stork nodded. "Right." he said.

The doctor left. Stork laid in the silence of the hospital. Listening to his own shallow breathing. The nurse entered with a tray of food and medicine.

"How are you feeling?" she asked. Stork shrugged. "Like i'm about to die." he said calmly.

The nurse shuddered. "You merbs are so, creepy sometimes." she said. Stork said nothing. The nurse placed the tray down.  
"well Ive got something that might cheer you up." she said.

Stork looked amused, "Really?" he said. The nurse nodded.

"Your getting a room mate." she said.

Stork scratched his neck. "Thats really not a good idea...I'm not a people person." he said.

"Oh yes, we know." The nurse said. "But don't worry, your room mate is not human, just like you." she said.

Stork twitched. "Do all of you really need to keep pointing out that?" he asked.

"Pointing out what?" the nurse asked, confused.

Stork snorted, "Oh nothing, don't mind me." he smiled rather wickedly. "I'm just a little...crazy." he said.

The nurse forced a smile. "Well, um, have fun with your new room mate!" she said cheerfully.

Stork meerly snorted again.


	3. Steel,Fire,Moon,Ash

Okay Time for My Disclaimer:

I do not own The Storm Hawks, Stork, Aerrow, Junko,Piper, Finn or Radarr

All Canon Characters (c) Nerd Corps.

Axee,Flair,Luna and Ashter are my OC's (No Stealing)

Stork woke to the sound of talking and laughter. He bleerly opened one pale yellow eye. Four merbs were seated around the two other beds in the room.

The nearest to him was a dark gray merb. She yawned and tilted her head. Her velvet like ears were still covered with the fur of a young merb, perhaps only 11 or 12. They were quite over pierced, with nine or more on each side. Dark,  
tinted sunglasses covered her eyes and where held back to her head with a thin green band. Her pale silver hair was braided back with dozens of tiny black beads that glitterd light ebony in the strange hospital light. she was wearing a gray sweater and tight black jeans. She was wearing no shoes, though her toenails were painted an almost neonic purple. She had a rather annoyed sneer on her face and was argueing with the nearest companion.

The other merb argueing was dark orange, with fiery neon hair.Her hair was cropped short, a very rare thing for a female merb. She was decked out in wacky rainbow colors and had a dozen or so crystal earrings in her left ear, and three tiny blue beaded earrings in the right. Her eyes were a startiling green on black and they were narrowed mencingly as she argued with the younger merb.

The third merb had corks stuck into her floppish purple ears, her eyes narrowed and her right hand tracing her temple. She looked about ready to scream. With her left hand she pushed her small glasses back up her nose. "Damn it, can't you to ever stop argueing?" she hissed.

Bolth merbs looked up at her, eyes wide. "Sorry Axee." the gray one whispered.

Axee leaned back into the pillows, closing her eyes. It was then that Stork realized she was pregnant.

"See what you do Flair?" the gray merb hissed softly.

The orange one snorted, "Huff of brat, your the one being to loud." she said.

Axee opened one eye a growled softly. "Flair, Luna."

Bolth merbs looked at her. "Yes..Axee?" they said in unison.

"Get the hell out of my room." Axee said angrily.

Flair and Luna jumped up. "Okay, okay, sorry." Flair said, leaving as quickly as she could.

Luna looked back at Axee. "We'll be in the waiting room...If you need us." she said softly and followed Flair.

Axee sighed and looked over at the last merb.

He was pale gray, almost white, and had bandages wrapped around his eyes. "I'm Staying, Axee." he said.

Axee shrugged and closed her eyes. "Suit yourself Ashter." she said.

"Sorry if the terrible twosome woke you up."

Stork turned his head slowly. "Erm...no, they didn't" he said.

The purple merb smiled. "So..what are you in this place for?" she asked.

Stork looked down. "I'd rather not talk about it, not now." he said.

Axee nodded, "Right, I under stand." she said.


	4. Mornin'

Stork must have dozed off for a while, when he woke up there was darkness. Only dim light filtered down from the small windows to the left of him. He perked his ears up and listened to the sounds of the hospital at night. 

There was the unrelenting hum of the monitors around him. The sound of a wheelie cart as a nurse rushed by the open door. Stork turned his head. In the nearbye bed, he could see the sleeping form of the purple merb, Axee, her friends had called her. There was a soft knock, and Stork's head whipped around towards the door.

An older nurse stood in the door way, one had on a cart, the other on her hip. She was different from the blond one he had seen earlier, the one who mentioned a room mate. The big difference was that the new nurse was a pale pink merb, and she had a rather motherly look to her.

"Well now, good morning." She said.

Stork looked back at the window. "What time is it?" he asked.

The nurse smiled "Just a little after Six in the mornin'" she said.

Stork leaned back. Even sick in the hospital, he woke up the same time as always.

The nurse wheeled the cart farther in. "Ive been telling them doctors you and your little lavendeer friend don't eat the normal stuff, I tell em' I should know, 'cause I can't stand the stuff." she said with a shrug. "But them stuffies don't listen to the rantins' of one old nurse, sorry hun." she said, putting a plate of hospital food onto a tray and putting in in front of Stork.

Stork sniffed it and sighed. "Every thing in this place tastes like cardboard." he muttered.

The nurse nodded. "The government don't care much for the quality of the food in Terra Hurban, it been so small and such. If you were at a better place you would have better food." she said.

"At least it has food."

Both the nurse and Stork looked up.

Axee was awake, watching them with a smirk.

"Well now, never seen you so perky in the mornin' Anexandra." the nurse said.

Axee flinced. "Cygnus, Please...?"

The nurse nodded. "Right, sorry darling, you and your knickname. She rolled her eyes to the sky. "Teenagers."

She then turned back to Stork and smiled. "I won't stand for formalities. Just call me Aunt Cygnus darling." she said.

Stork half smiled. "Right." he said.

Cygnus dusted off her hands and walked over to the wall. "Right then." she said, pulling a wheelchair out of the closet. "Anex..erm..Axee, Strix has called a early mornin' meeting, to kinda introduce Mr. Stork to the rest of the group.

Axee pushed the covers off and slid herself out of bed. "So much for my beauty sleep." she said, settling down in the chair.

Cygnus nodded to Stork. "Comin' hun? were gonna go meet with the others."

Stork scratched his neck. "Others?"

Cygnus pushed the wheelchair over to the door. "Why yes dear, you didn't think you and lavendeer here were the only ones in this ward, did ya?" she asked.


	5. Breakdown

Stork, Axee and Cygnus made there way down the hall. "Well now, when we get there, Axee, will you introduce Stork to the rest of our group?" Cygnus asked. 

Axee nodded. "Yeah, I'll be sure to do that." she said.

The three merbs entered a large ward that was pretty much deserted. A large circle of chairs sat in the middle of it.

"Looks like Glair had to go roust everyone else out of bed." Axee said.

Cygnus nodded. "We don't usually hold sessions this early." she said.

"Ah, good morning everyone." a voice rang out behind them.

All three of them turned.

A strict looking silver merb with librarian glasses marched through the door way.

"Thats Glair, She's our social therepist." Axee whispered to Stork.

Glair raised an eyebrow at Stork. "Ahh yes, the new one." she said.

"Glair hon, this is Stork." Cygnus said, patting Stork's shoulder.

"Hmm...Cygnus, status please?" Glair said.

Cygnus sighed. "Well now, 'from the info we got from his squad mates, classic case of armeggedon syndrome." she said softly.

Glair nodded. "The destruction of Terra Bermaid was just a tragic thing." she said.

In that instant, Stork had nearly tackled Glair. Cygnus and Axee both held one of his arms.

His eyes were wide and he fought agaist there hold. "Just a tragic thing? just a t-tragic thing!" he hissed.

"Stork please, calm down!" Axee said.

Stork growled, "The cyclonians destoryed my home, my family, it wasn't a tragic thing..oohh no...it was a disaster!" he shrieked. Then he stopped fighting there hold and started shaking.

Cygnus enfolded Stork into a gental hug as his shaking turned into rib shattering sobs.

"Don't you have even an ounce of compassion for anyone?" she hissed at Glair.

Glair snorted. "Passion makes you weak." she said.

Cygnus ignored her and began talking softly to Stork. "There there now, come on..ive got you." she said.

Stork gasped through his tears as more painful memories began to emerge...

6 year old Stork gripping tightly to his father as all of his family runs from there home. The explosion as a huge crystal bomb smacks down behind them. His mother screaming as fragments batter against them and the ground around them. His father's cries and curses as they stumbled towards the refugee ships.

And then the sudden silence as the hold of the ship closed. The almost unbelieveable feeling that they were alive, battered and bruised. And then, when it all seemed over, a scream above all others. Another crystal bomb goes off, taking out one of the engines. The captain screams to brace for impact. Stork's mother shields him as the metal hull above them flips and smashes into the ground. And then the darkness surrounds..only the darkness...and blood red lightning.


	6. Friends

Stork groaned. He could hear voices around him, whispering softly. 

"Mother?" he asked.

"Stork,hon, stay with me, I gotcha." a voice near his hear whispered.

"Stay with me, momma, please!" Stork cried.

"Stork, stork come on darlin'." the voice said.

Stork gasped and slowly opened his eyes. He was on the floor, Cygnus holding him up.

"Oh thank god, you were so quiet there for a minute." she said.

Stork looked around slowly, his dream fading as the surroundings came into view. "Where am I?" he asked.

Cygnus helped him to his feet. "You passed out dear." she said. Cygnus lead him over to a chair and held him as he caught his breath.  
"Oh boy, don't worry, the doctors agree with me this time, your gonna get special treatment." she told him.

Stork slid slowly down into the soft leather. "You think I'm crazy, don't you?" he asked.

"No! no darling, your just a poor hurt soul, no one can blame you for the things that you have been through." Cygnus said.

Stork groaned. "I would really, really like to see my squadron, Cygnus..could you, I mean, would it be possible.."

Cygnus covered his mouth with her hand. "Say no more, I'll get em' right now...Axee, stay with Stork for a molment while I get his friends." she said.

She patted Stork's shoulder and left through the large swinging doors.

Axee sat down on a nearbye armchair. "Boy, it takes a lot to shake Cygnus up like that, your something else." she said.

Stork glared angrily at the purple merb. "Your sixteen and pregnant when you know the proper laws...and you tell me I'm something else?" he asked angrily.

Axee looked down at her feet. "I have nothing to look forward to except the birth of my merbling." she hissed. Axee looked up at Stork. "You think your the only damn merb who lost something in that...masscre?" she asked.

Stork couldn't meet her eyes, they blazed with an angry fire. "No...I know so many lost, so much." he said.

Axee crossed her arms and sighed. "My brother Ashter lost his sight, my mother lost her unborn child, my father lost his leg, and my mate...lost his mind."

Stork was about to ask her what she meant, but was intrupted by the doors swinging open again. He and Axee both turned.

Cygnus lead the other Storm Hawks into the room. "They were all very excited when I told them that they could see ya'" Cygnus said.

A small smile spread across Stork's face. "Hello, everyone." he said.

Finn smiled. "Hey Buddy, how they treating you here?" he asked.

"As well as can be expected, for what it is" Stork said.

Radarr climbed onto Stork's lap, whineing slightly.

"Its good to see your feeling better." Aerrow said, putting his hand on Stork's shoulder.

Stork looked past the sky knight towards the door. "Where are Piper and Junko?" he asked.

"Junko's back on the Condor...he says hospitals freak him out, but he made you this." Finn said, handing Stork a card. It was made of construction paper and had random cut outs in the shape of "GET WELL SOON"

"And Piper said she had to pick out a bouquet for your room, seeing as hospital wards are so, drab." Aerrow said.

Stork nodded. "Well,its good to see you all, again." he said.

Aerrow smiled. "We where all pretty worried about you Stork, the doctor was saying you were going to need special treatment." he said.

Cygnus shook her head. "Its not all that bad dear, Dr. Strix is the best of the best of what we got here, she'll take good care of your friend." she told Aerrow.

Just then, Piper ran in, her arms full of light blue roses. "Sorry It took so long, but you won't believe the choices here." she smiled warmly at Stork. "I thought I should bring something to cheer you up." she said.

Stork grinned slightly. "Thanks Piper, Its good to know everyone cares." he said.


	7. Backwards

It was almost a week later when Stork had his first visit to Dr. Strix. As it would turn out, she had come from the same disaster. 

Stork was lying with his eyes closed on a long leather couch.

Dr. Demisle Strix sat across from him, tapping her eraser onto the pad of paper infront of her. The white merb tugged at the end of her brown braid and leaned back against her chair.

"Stork, can you tell me what happened after the ship crashed?" she asked gentally.

Stork nodded, "I woke up in the orphanage,it had been turned into a refugee home.  
The social workers explained that my father had died in the impact..and my mother was still in the hospital with near-fatal fractures." he said.

Strix nodded and scribbled on her pad. "Did they let you see your mother?" she asked.

"Eventually they did. She was almost gone by then." he said.

Strix pulled a small silver pocket watch off her desk. "Stork, we are now going to try a little thing I like to call hypnosis therapy." she said.

Stork opened one eye. "Is it going to hurt?" he questioned.

"No" Strix said. She lifted the watch up and began to swing it back and forth. "Just watch the watch." she said.

Stork opened both eyes and watched it swing back and forth. '_This is never going to do anything_ he thought'. He was right, at least until he fell asleep while gazing at the glittering silver trinket.

Strix smiled. "Now Stork, I want you to go deep inside and tell me about the last day you saw your mother, explain it to me." she said.

Stork opened his mouth and began to speak.

The hospital lights were really dim, they hurt my eyes. I remember wishing that I was somewhere else. Anywhere but this place. I remember the hand of my Aunt Whynona on my shoulder, steering me towards the room where my mom lay, nearly dead. I was wimpering and she was shushing me softly, telling me that it would be okay and to not make a scene. The door had opened with a rusty squeak and we both entered. My mother Albatross lay there in the bed, her pale blue face the only color in the milk blanched room. Tears sprang into my eyes. She had always been so warm and happy, seeing her here made me think of a songbird in a cage, waiting to be free. And I knew the only way she would be free was if she was to pass on. "Momma." I whispered. She opened her eyes slowly and a small smile spread onto her pale lips. "Storkie, my little one, oh thank goodness your okay." she said, her voice barley more than a whisper. "Momma,  
I don't want to lose you." I said. She closed her eyes. "Stork, reach into the drawer for me, okay?" she said. I did as she asked and opened the drawer.  
Sitting on top of a hankercheif was a pair of silver hoops. "They belonged to Airen." she said softly. I began to cry softly. "Daddy." I said. Momma looked at me and smiled. "You look just like your father, Stork, and when your older, you can wear those." she said. Then she leaned back and closed her eyes,  
breathing softly. "Momma?" I whispered. "Yes Storkie?" she asked. I clutched the earrings to my chest. "I'll stop them someday momma, the cyclonians will pay for this!" I cried. Momma sighed. "Storkie, don't go away from this with a cold heart, I want you to live a good life, not a vengeful one." she said.  
I leaned forward and kissed her on her nose. "I will momma, I'll become a piolet for some sky knights, kay?" I asked. She smiled. "Good boy, you do that,  
help them in protecting Atmos." she said. I slid the earrings into my pocket. "I love you Momma!" I cried, wanting to hug her. "Oh little one, I love you to"  
she said softly. Her pale hand reached up slowly and stroked the tears off my cheek. "Do great things, Stork Windstone, Airen and I will always be watcing over you." she said. Her hand slid down my face and landed next to her on the sheets. "Momma?" I asked. She was silent and still. I began to sob, I knew more now than ever that I was alone. "Goodbye Momma, I will make you proud." I said through my tears, then clapsed against her bed, sobbing soflty. I don't remember Aunt Whynona lifting me up and taking me away from her, my momma. All I remember is after that, I felt an empty place, because I was, so very alone.

Strix snapped her fingers. Stork opened his eyes, tears running slowly down his cheeks. "The roses Piper gave me where the same color as my mother." he said.


	8. END: Scars

In the end, Stork began to feel better about losing so much. It really took a lot to remember what his mother had told him. He was going to make her proud. 

Two weeks later, Stork was ready to head back out into the wild blue yonder with the rest of his squadron. He knew that the nightmares might still haunt him,  
and that he would always have the tiny scars from the glass on his hand.

Axee promised to send him some pictures of the merbling when it was born. She planned to name the baby Raven. Stork thought that was a good idea.

What mattered most was that Stork would never forget the new friends he had made. Cygnus and Axee were happy that he was better, but he knew they were sad to see him go.

Even Dr. Strix had come out to see him off. The four merbs agreed that when Cyclonia was taken down, they would return to there original terra.

Stork walked back up the Condor's docking bay with a small smile, he was glad to be back on familiar turf. His friends were all there to welcome him back as the piolet of the large carrier ship.

Stork stared out at the sky and grinned, because he knew best of all, and deepest of it, that one thing was true, the deep scars in his heart were healed.

**THE END**

_I want to take a minute to thank all those out there who read or reviewed my story, it was fun to write, and my next one is already posted, its called Terra of Terror, I hope you enjoy it as well as you did this one. Peace out MerbMaid._


End file.
